Maroc - TAIWANTODAY.TW - Top News - 01/Aug 00:00

Lai receives Foundation for Defense of Democracies delegation

President Lai Ching-te received a delegation from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Aug. 1 in Taipei City, pledging to deepen Taiwan-U.S. relations and calling for global unity to protect freedom and democracy.   Lai praised the FDD for its key position among think tanks based in Washington, D.C. He also expressed appreciation for its long-term focus on Taiwan and for continuing to draw attention to Taiwan’s defense and social resilience.   According to the president, the expansion of authoritarianism, including China’s continuous military activity in the Indo-Pacific, is not only altering the global security framework but also challenging the rules-based international order. It is important for democracies around the world to adopt appropriate countermeasures to protect the democratic way of life, he said.   To fulfill its responsibilities as a member of the global community, Lai said Taiwan will continue to strengthen its national defense capabilities, build economic security, demonstrate stable and principled cross-strait leadership and promote values-based diplomacy.   In addition to semiconductor collaboration, Taiwan can also expand cooperation with the U.S. in national defense technologies and artificial intelligence, the president said. Deepening ties will also help enhance partnership with other like-minded countries and ensure supply chain security in line with the interests of Taiwan, the U.S. and the rest of the free world, he added.   In response, Matthew Pottinger, former U.S. national security advisor and leader of the delegation, said his colleagues were impressed with the Taiwan team’s creativity and resourcefulness during the recent tabletop exercises, adding that he believes Taiwan and its friends will be able to deter or respond to any intimidation or crisis.   During a meeting with the delegation later the same day, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim thanked the delegates for advising Taiwan on where it can enhance its resilience, which is one of the president’s policy priorities. She added that she hopes the FDD will keep working with the government to improve readiness across all sectors of society. (SFC-E)   Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw